Pocono resorts already on smoother slope than a year ago

Wednesday

Nov 28, 2012 at 12:01 AM

A little extra snow may have slowed your Tuesday commute but it sure helped local ski resorts. A number of Pocono ski areas are using the low temperatures and first snowfall of the season to attempt to open this week, two weeks before they were able to open during last year's ski season to forget.

MICHAEL SADOWSKI

A little extra snow may have slowed your Tuesday commute but it sure helped local ski resorts.

A number of Pocono ski areas are using the low temperatures and first snowfall of the season to attempt to open this week, two weeks before they were able to open during last year's ski season to forget.

Jack Frost Big Boulder's Freedom Park in Lake Harmony will open at 3 p.m. today, Camelback Mountain Resort in Tannersville and Blue Mountain in Danielsville hope to open for the season Saturday and Shawnee Mountain in Shawnee-on-Delaware is "keeping (its) options open" to try and open Saturday.

"It's 50/50 right now," said Blue Mountain spokeswoman Heidi Lutz said. "It all depends on the weather, how cold it stays. We need it to stay cold the rest of the week."

Jack Frost Big Boulder announced late Tuesday afternoon it would open at 3 p.m. today with its annual "Boulder Gives Back" promotion. Anyone who brings 10 non-perishable canned goods or a new toy valued at $15 or more can buy a lift ticket for $20.

Camelback spokeswoman Megan McHugh said the mountain originally had been looking for a Dec. 8 opening when it started its snow guns Saturday.

But with the extra snow Tuesday and the ideal snow-making temperatures, she said the mountain is "keeping its fingers crossed" to open its terrain park Saturday.

Shawnee Mountain's original plan was to open Dec. 8. But with the snow — 3 inches at the base, about 5 inches at the summit — and the favorable snow-making temperatures, spokesman Jim Tust said the mountain is trying to open Saturday.

He said a decision will be made Thursday afternoon as to whether to open limited slopes.

"We are always grateful to have Mother Nature's help," Tust said.

The early opening is a welcome sign for the resorts.

Last year, high temperatures reached the 50s as late as New Year's Eve, and were near 60 in early December, preventing the resorts from making snow with any regularity.

The National Weather Service reported no measurable snow in December 2011 at all. Resorts opened around Dec. 16, but didn't get decent snow and cooperating temperatures until near the end of January.

Even that only lasted a few days and didn't come back for the rest of the year.